Flood and frozen pipe damage caused by series of storms, says Association of British Insurers
Storms and heavy rain pushed up weather-related home insurance claims in the UK by more than a third last year to a record £573m, according to industry data.
The repair bill for storm damage and other extreme weather during 2023 was £150m more than in 2022, the Association of British Insurers said, contributing to an overall 10% rise in residential property claims settled last year.
Continue reading...Emergency services dealing with incidents in Littlehampton and ‘severe flooding’ at a holiday park
The River Arun has overflowed in West Sussex with rescue operations under way in the seaside town of Littlehampton and warnings of severe flood waters as a result of Storm Kathleen.
“Our crews are supporting rescue operations in Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun has burst its banks, leading to severe flooding,” West Sussex fire and rescue service said on X.
Continue reading...Gusts of more than 70mph recorded on Irish Sea coast, as temperatures rose above 30C in mainland Europe
Storm Kathleen brought strong winds to Ireland and the UK at the weekend, causing travel and power disruption. The storm, named by Met Éireann, developed in the Atlantic on Thursday, deepening explosively as it pushed northwards to the west of Ireland.
Peak wind gusts of 40-60mph (65-95km/h) were recorded quite widely across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and western parts of England and Wales on Saturday, with some Irish Sea coastal regions experiencing gusts above 70mph. A gust of 72mph was recorded at Drumalbin, Lanarkshire.
Continue reading...Flood and wind warnings remain in place, with Sepa warning of ‘real danger to life’ on coastal roads and paths
Scotland will continue to face the threat of power cuts and travel disruption as high winds and heavy rain from Storm Kathleen persist into Sunday.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has 18 regional flood alerts and 43 flood warnings in place in Scotland. They have been in force since Saturday.
Continue reading...Yellow wind warnings issued while storms also brings hottest day of the year, reaching 20.9C in Suffolk
Dozens of UK flights were cancelled on Saturday as Storm Kathleen brought winds of up to 70mph and triggered the warmest day of the year so far.
About 140 flights departing and arriving at UK airports were cancelled, leaving travellers stranded in Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester and Birmingham. The Met Office also issued a yellow weather warning for the north-west and south-west of England and parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Continue reading...Met Office says temperatures may hit 22C in East Anglia on potentially hottest day of year but warns of strong gusts and rain
Storm Kathleen has brought disruption to the UK and Ireland with dozens of UK flights cancelled and about 34,000 left without power as Saturday provisionally become the hottest day of the year.
The highest temperature of 20.9C was reached in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Saturday afternoon.
Continue reading...Met Office says unsettled conditions could disrupt travel and pose danger to life in parts of Northern Ireland and southern England
Heavy rain and strong winds could disrupt travel and pose a risk to life in the run-up to the Easter weekend, forecasters have said.
The Met Office issued yellow warnings across parts of Northern Ireland and the south of England.
Continue reading...Alert says there could be ‘tricky driving conditions in a few places’ after unexpectedly cold overnight temperatures
An unexpected cold snap has prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning after snow fell across parts of the west of England.
The warning covered an area from south of Bristol to north of Worcester, and extends to Hereford to the west and Swindon to the east.
Continue reading...Met Office issues amber weather warnings with up to 25cm of snow forecast to fall on higher areas
The Met Office has issued two rare amber weather warnings, with heavy snow and ice forecast to hit the UK on Thursday.
One warning is in place from 8am-3pm covering large parts of north Wales and Shropshire. The second runs from noon-6pm and covers the Peak District and southern Pennines.
Continue reading...Rail services to and from Scotland suspended until at least midday with amber wind warning in place for parts of country
Storm Jocelyn has brought fresh travel disruption to much of the UK, less than two days after Storm Isha left two people dead and thousands without power.
The 10th named storm of the season brought an amber warning for wind to parts of Scotland on Wednesday morning, with much of the UK covered by a yellow alert into Wednesday afternoon.
Continue reading...Disruption expected on Monday as cancellations and delays issued for rail, sea and air with heavy rain and high winds forecast
Train services in Scotland are expected to be suspended until around noon after “a wild night”, Network Rail says.
The railway has recovered quickly this morning following Storm Isha with trees and debris cleared across routes in England and Wales, and route proving trains reporting lines clear.
Passenger and freight services have restarted and a good service is expected in most areas. Passengers should still check before they head out for the latest travel news on trains operators’ websites.
Between 3.30pm on Sunday, 21st January and 2am on Monday, 22nd January, officers dealt with over 1,300 calls from the public, approximately 600 of these related to the storm.
“There is also a continued risk of significant debris on the road network as wind speeds remain high throughout Monday.
Continue reading...Forecasters warn of life-threatening gusts in coastal areas as weather causes travel disruption across country
A tornado warning has been issued across parts of Britain as Storm Isha takes hold, with potentially life-threatening gusts and travel disruption expected into Monday.
A “tornado watch” zone was issued for Northern Ireland as well as parts of Scotland and northern England by the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) on Sunday afternoon. That means a “strong tornado” is possible in those regions.
Continue reading...Damage to buildings and flying debris expected as country set to be battered by wind and rain
Storm Isha is set to batter “everybody” in the UK with wind and rain during a “rare” weather cycle, forecasters say.
Winds of up to 80mph will swoop in later on Sunday, potentially causing power cuts and loss of mobile phone signal, while roads and bridges are likely to be shut and transport services could face delays and cancellations in some areas.
Continue reading...Temperatures to turn milder from Saturday, with wet and windy conditions expected through the weekend
Snow and ice will be replaced by wind and rain as milder air returns to the UK.
Yellow alerts for snow and ice remain in effect across Scotland on Friday, with the Met Office warning wintry showers could bring disruption to transport and travel.
Continue reading...‘Persistent band of snow’ likely across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales
The UK is set to experience its coldest night of the winter season this week, thanks to an Arctic blast that is travelling from the north to the south.
Temperatures are expected to be 5C-6C lower than usual for this time of year, falling to -15C in some areas.
Continue reading...Met Office warns of travel disruption in Scotland as arctic winds and snow showers move inland from northern coasts
The cold snap will continue across most of Britain throughout Sunday and into early next week, with warnings of potential travel disruption in Scotland.
The Met Office has put in place yellow weather warnings of snow and ice for much of the north of Scotland throughout Sunday and Monday.
Continue reading...Majority of flood warnings in south of England and Midlands, with some snow flurries overnight
More than 100 flood warnings remain in place after last week’s Storm Henk deluge as large parts of the UK endured a cold, frosty morning.
The Environment Agency (EA) said there were 126 flood warnings in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of London in Wraysbury.
Continue reading...1,800 properties estimated to have flooded in England, as forecasters warn of colder weather on the way
The misery and chaos caused by flooding in England is set to continue until at least Monday, according to authorities.
In its latest update, the Environment Agency estimated that more than 1,800 properties had flooded after the heavy, intense downpours brought by Storm Henk.
Continue reading...The National Flood Forum says flooded communities face future misery if they can’t make a business case for help
People affected by this month’s floods will face the same problems in future because their communities cannot access government support, campaigners have warned.
Small towns and villages affected by floods in England and Wales can ask for flood defences and mitigation through their council or the Environment Agency (EA), but are being turned down because they cannot make a business case, according to the National Flood Forum.
Continue reading...PM insists government is responding, as some residents are told to expect five more days of misery and colder weather
Large swathes of England ended the week devastated by flood water as rivers reached record highs, provoking a bitter political row over funding for the country’s most vulnerable areas.
Labour accused Rishi Sunak of being “asleep at the wheel” over flood warnings at the end of a week in which at least 1,000 properties were flooded and some villages were totally cut off, with parts of Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire worst affected.
Continue reading...